If you’ve ever struggled to exercise or lose weight and given up over and over again you’re not alone. Many people struggle with low self esteem and a belief that weight loss is too hard. Tanya thought the same thing. Then her sister challenged her to get her body back and a special sister’s only trip to the Steve Harvey Awards in Atlanta if she lost 50 pounds. Tanya’s determination kicked in and she’s lost 67 POUNDS and is still going! Listen to her story!

Now how will Tanya continue her journey? Find out in this video!

We would love to hear about your weight loss journey! Please stop by our Facebook page and share your success or post in your comments below! You can also see more pictures from the 2015 Neighborhood Awards hosted by Steve Harvey on our Music and Media page.

What’s the Best Way To Refresh Post-Workout- Coconut Water vs. Gatorade vs. Powerade?

This is a guest post by Shannon White, the choreographer of the MECKids Dream Team.

The “New” Kid in Town

Before you divorce your favorite sports drink for nature’s alternative, ask yourself if you’ve tried to work it out. Let’s take a moment to make sure this is the right decision. Rehydration after a strenuous activity (like playing with your kids) is essential to ensure that your body replenishes its nutrients. In the last few years, coconut water has splashed on the scene in the U.S., with celebrity endorsements and big names like Pepsi and Coca-Cola getting in on the action too. Coconut water is far from new, however. Americans are “tardy for the party”; tropical countries (Caribbean, parts of Africa, Southeast Asia) where the young, green coconuts are found have been getting the “super water” straight from the source for many years.

MECKids Mission: To find out whether or not coconut water is an adequate, healthy substitute for popular sports drinks of today.

Why all the Fuss?

What is so great about coconut water anyway? If the liquid from this tropical fruit isn’t manipulated too much, coconut water is a natural, low calorie source of electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium) with a slight nutty and refreshing taste. In fact, the Molecules scientific journal boasts that it can also help to prevent heart attacks and treat kidney stones. Its other benefits include:

Lowers blood pressure

Fights free radicals to help fight cancer

Can have anti-aging affects

Has trans-zeatin that is used to prevent and/or treat Alzheimer’s and dementia

So far so good, right? Let’s continue.

Potassium is the key electrolyte that contributes to coconut water’s star power— if electrolytes were famous, potassium would be an A-list celebrity. It helps not only control the amount of water in your body, but it also helps maintain a healthy pH level in the blood. Because there aren’t as many sources that are rich in potassium as say, sodium, potassium deficiency is very common, especially in African American women. If severe, it can be fatal (eek!).

Raw coconut water has about 20 times the potassium of Gatorade, which equals about four bananas. For all the banana haters out there, talk about a win!

Does it measure up?

Even though potassium is a salt (which we now know is important), it’s not the primary salt we lose while sweating it out. That prize goes to sodium. Here are the cold (and refreshing) facts: Powerade and Gatorade both have more than double the amount of sodium of coconut water per ounce. Normally, less sodium means it’s better for you. But in this case, sodium is the most essential electrolyte to the rehydration process (after a strenuous workout). The Scientific Committee on Food suggests 460-1150 milligrams of sodium per liter in order to rehydrate properly. Sodium helps the small intestine absorb water and carbohydrates, helping to replenish fluids and energy. In other words, coconut water does not have enough sodium content to roll with the rehydration “big dogs” Gatorade and Powerade. Stick with these engineered performance drinks for optimal rehydration after your workout.

Don’t Say it’s Over

Don’t fret though, albeit coconut water isn’t your go-to after a workout, it can still be your go-to for a potassium supplement, along with the other benefits mentioned above. Just make sure you pick the right brand. Because of the mass marketing of coconut water, a lot of companies are cutting corners to get (and keep) their products on the shelves. Coconut water is incredibly perishable once it’s taken from the coconut, meaning that its nutrients are literally a ticking time bomb. Most companies use concentrates or heat to pasteurize the nutrients right out of the water or use a mature (and less nutritious) coconut as a substitute, masking the acidic taste with sweetener and fruit flavors.

Vani Hari of Foodbabe.com suggests keeping it simple. Pay attention to the labels and avoid:

Concentrates

Heat Pasteurization

Added “fruit” flavors

Added sweeteners

Try an organic or raw brand from your local organic store. If there isn’t one nearby, Amazon has a few organic brands that ship within a few days (Harmless Harvest is at the top of our list!) And if you happen to visit any tropical areas this summer, make sure you try the best way— straight from the source!

Do you drink coconut water or sports drinks after you workout and what has been your experience? Please share in the comments below!

So now it is time to decide if Gatorade or Powerade is better for you. Click here to take a look at our article for a comparison of the two.

Kids, work, travel. All reasons we look to in order to skip the workout. Not anymore! The best part of fitness is that it’s versatile. You can sit in a chair and workout, you can stand and workout. No matter where you are in your day, you can fit in exercise and show your kids, no matter what the day brings, it can be done!

MECKids has 5 exercises you and your kids can do ANYWHERE and together!

Wall Sits: Place yourself against a wall and walk your legs out until you are at a 90 degree angle. Hold that position for 60 seconds. Do that for 3 reps.

Push-ups: No matter if you are do them with bent knees or or with your legs extended out, you will get your heart-rate UP! Do 15 reps for 3 sets.

Lunges: While in standing position, extend (lunge forward) with one leg. Alternate 15 reps on each leg for 3 sets.

Planks: Work that core! Stand in full push-up position with legs extended out and arms out at full extension touching the floor. Shoot for 60 seconds, 3 reps.

The beauty of these exercises is that they are simple, yet effective and of course, can be done anywhere! Stuck in a cramped hotel room? No problem. Busy day at the office or at home with the kids? No problem!

Doing these with the family ensures the workouts will get done and make it that much more fun!

Stay active with your family no matter where you are! You gotta move!

Need some more workout ideas? Join the 30 day #momNMeFit Challenge starting January 26, 2015! Both kids and moms will learn how to stay fit & motivated towards a healthy path for the future.

Parenting is the toughest yet most rewarding job you will ever have in your life.

With the copious amounts of responsibility to work and raise your kids, you may find it difficult on top of day-to-day tasks add in exercise.

Knowing it must be done is half the battle. Luckily, MECKids can help with the other half. Here are 5 great tips on how to get your kids involved with exercise.

1. Be the example! Show them it’s fun. If they see you doing it, they are more likely to want to join in. Remember your kids are watching you and a lot of what they will do in their life has a lot to do with what they’ve seen growing up.

2. Make fitness a challenge in your home. Team up with others in your family to create fitness challenges. If you can grab fun gear, you can create challenges like: “Who can hula hoop the longest?” If you don’t have access to gear, make chasing each other at the local park a fun game!

3. Kids may not like the idea of exercising so use alternative words if you have to. Instead ofmentioning the word “exercise,” you can say, “Let’s go have some fun together.”

4. Once your child starts becoming active, praise them for what they are doing to create encouragement. They will most likely want to do it again if they know they will be praised for it.

5. Create a colorful and interactive calendar. Aim for an hour of activity a day. Have them place a sticker or mark off different days with a different color once the activity is done. It gives them something to look forward to after.

If all else fails, sneak in active time. A great way to do this would be parking far away from places you have to go so you have to walk further.

These tips are great ways to set the example for your kids and a fantastic way to create more bonding time.

It can difficult to balance work and all of your family’s needs but that’s why MECKids was created. We are dedicated to helping you and your kids find a passion and a purpose to live a healthy lifestyle! On November 15th, MECKids is launching MomNmeFit, a program designed specifically for Moms and their kids to get out and get active!

Tons of people head to the beach through out there summer vacations because who doesn’t love the beach? Whether you like to walk on the board walk, sit on the beach, or swim in the ocean the beach is a great place for everybody. During the summer I usually go to Bethany Beach in Delaware with my family I’ve also gone to Ocean City, New Jersey this summer they are both really fun places to go to. The beach may be a very fun place to go to but it’s also a good place to exercise at a lot of people get a good workout at the beach without even intending on it! When I was at the beach I noticed that I was doing tons of walking from place to place because when you’re at the beach you don’t want to spend time in the car. Walking is so simple but it’s a good exercise especially if you’re doing a lot of it. When I was at the beach we would walk everywhere that we could because we had been in the car for hours so we wanted to avoid the car as much as we could. At most beaches there are tons of places that rent out bikes, and that’s because biking around the boardwalk or just around the town is a popular thing. We did not rent bikes when we were there but we really wanted to because it’s a good work out and it does not take as long as walking. If you spend a lot of time on the beach than you are probably doing a lot of exercise as well because there is a lot of things to do on the beach like playing sports like volleyball, soccer, and football another thing that kids do at the beach that is a great workout is shoveling you know how you’ve always wanted to “dig a hole to china” in the sand well I’ve dug holes in the sand and it’s quite the workout. Finally, the ocean is a great place to exercise in because you’re not only swimming but you’re going against the waves and the currents add all those together and you get a pretty decent workout this is my favorite thing to do at the beach.

If you’re a geek for anything relating to comic books or superheroes, then do I have a workout for you! Not only is it quick and easy to execute, but it works out every muscle in your body, making it perfect for busy bees who want to stay in shape. The best part? The creator of the workouts, Neila Rey, based each of her fitness plans off of a famous superhero or comic book figure.

The Benefits of Neila Rey’s Workouts

I discovered these workouts while surfing my favorite social media site. I was immediately intrigued by the visual aid that was minimalist and easy to read.

Each exercise is accompanied by an instructional picture to help people (like me) that are visual thinkers.

It specifies how many times you should repeat each exercise to maximize caloric burn.

Works with muscular strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, and core strengthening. Basically, your whole body will be in for a shock.

It takes up to 30 minutes, making it an aerobic exercise plan.

The best part, however, is the bottom banner, highlighted below.

It cleverly helps you out by explaining how many sets you should perform if you are a beginner, novice, or expert. Now, I am what you could consider…a lazy bum who can’t do more than 10 pushups a beginner. This workout program helps cater to my needs and holds my hand as I progress.

Plus, it’s entertaining to imagine that I’m a superhero training to fight evil.

To honor the newest superhero movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past (which is AMAZING, seriously you’re missing out if you haven’t seen it), I will be showing you the “Wolverine” workout. The link below is a PDF file that shows you the original image of the workout.

We could not get action shots, so I had to awkwardly stand there like a flamingo. The neighbors were amused.

Step Two: Squats (24)

The smile on my face says it all.

Step Three: Climbers (24)

Step Four: Raised Leg Push-Ups (10)

Luckily, she specified 10, which is my maximum capability.

Step Five: Shoulder Touches (10)

Step Six: Plank Jump Ins (10)

The photographer caught me mid-sentence complaining about this exercise.

Step Seven: Reverse Crunches (12)

Step Eight: Sitting Twists (12)

Step Nine: Flutter Kicks (24)

THE ENEMY.

Step Ten: Rest and Stretch

For someone who isn’t in stellar shape, these exercises are just challenging enough for me to sweat and burn. Wolverine sure does work his core! I repeat each exercise three times, with two minute breaks in between. At the end of the workout, I was sweating, but felt good. I also ran around the block a few times to let off steam and by the end, I was beat.

IN CONCLUSION

Neila Rey’s unique take on pairing everyday exercises into something both beneficial and pop culture savvy is something new and refreshing. She doesn’t just create superhero fitness plans either. She has more than 120 visual workout guides with a diverse selection of themes to suit all your geeky needs, like Fight Club, Hunger Games, BBC’s Sherlock, and Star Wars, to name a few. Her website has everything you need to work out in a time crunch, which is perfect for a busy student like myself.

Stay Healthy,

Adia

Bloopers:

Me throwing out my ankle after trying high knees. Don’t forget to stretch before and after, people!

“I’m so strong, you can’t even see my muscles!”

All credit goes to Neila Rey. To view Neila Rey’s workouts and other super cool stuff, visit her website at:

Like me you may want to know how to keep moving when you don’t want to…so here are my 10 favorites for motivation.

Be realistic

Unfortunately, first-time exercises come up with unrealistic targets that are too ambitious. Gerald Endress, fitness director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. says, “They want to go for maximal goals, but they tend to get overwhelmed.” Instead set more reachable goals that you know you can reach.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Use a chart progress to keep track of your progress. You could use a high-tech online tracker or a fitness journal. Seeing your own progress boosts your confidence and motivation to work harder.

Don’t Expect Perfection

Except that you will make faults and mistakes because it only will help you prepare mentally for setbacks. Be ready to know that you will miss a couple of days of exercising but don’t let that be an excuse that you are giving up.

Make it Convenient

Do what is necessary to remove on exercising and make it as convenient as possible. Try doing some at home exercises to DVDs instead of driving all the way to the gym if you are pressed for time or wake up early in the morning to exercise.

Forget the Past

Don’t let prior bad experiences with exercises stop you. Your target now is to stay healthy and enjoy your life.

Reward Yourself

Reward yourself for efforts made to exercise with something that you enjoy doing, like going to the movies. Think of what would motivate you to keep a mind-body connection. Or plan a trip to anywhere, like a botanical garden. It helps remind you that every time you enjoy yourself it is because of the good things you have done for yourself.

Don’t compare Yourself to Others

Don’t compare yourself to others because you are not them and they are not you. Don’t let them determine how you will exercise or what your target is.

Get support

The best thing to have is support. If there are people there for you and support what you are doing, it is the best thing in the world. Their support motivates you to do better for yourself and for them as well.

Find the Fun of it

Find some exercise you like to do and it will be fun for you. Find different places to exercise if you are not a gym person. If you like to exercise outside, then go walk through the neighborhood or go to a park. Just make sure to do something that appeal to your interest and it will help you stay engaged.

Break it up

Dividing your exercises in two or three different sessions makes it easier on yourself and said to be much more beneficial than one long workout. For example if you don’t like exercising for an hour split it up into four different workouts.

Many people hear the word metabolism used in common health conversations such as, “I have a very high metabolism.” or “I have a very low metabolism.” Even though we often use this word almost everyday do we really know what it means and its relation to both weight loss and weight gain?

Metabolism is the energy used for your body to function , including burning calories and breaking down food. A calorie is the amount of energy a food or drink provides when you eat it. Your body’s metabolism is constantly burning a continuous amount of calories to provide energy needed. Healthy foods help your metabolism regularly perform its function and fatty, greasy foods slows it down, this may cause people to become overweight and obese. This explains the common beliefs about fast and slow metabolisms. Metabolism is based on body composition, the greater percentage of muscle, the higher the metabolism.

Children have a higher metabolism than adult because children are more physically active than adults and their bodies burn calories faster. Their metabolic system can be easily shaped since they are young and it can also be affected by growth hormones and puberty.

In conducting interviews with people and their thoughts on metabolism I learned that people really don’t have an understanding of what metabolism really is. “Hmm, I guess I can say that metabolism is what fuels the body,” said James Mickens, security guard for Martin Luther King Jr. Library. He added there should be more recreational center activities for the kids and more programs to get them moving. “It is a regulatory device used to burn fuel,” said librarian Liane Rosenblatt. Each of these interviewees agreed that children of this generation are less likely to have a high metabolism because they aren’t as active as they used to be when they were children. “Look at the kids today, sitting around with all this social media; they need to get outside,” Rosenblatt added.

In my opinion, its all about knowledge and awareness. The more adults and teenagers that are aware of health issues and what can be done to prevent them, the more children will want to participate and be more healthy. Also, children should encourage each other to be more physically active so that they can have high metabolisms and healthy diets. Since it is summer time children can take group trips to the pool and play team sports that everyone is familiar with. Making their own healthy snacks like apple slices, and carrot sticks with peanut butter is an alternative instead of spending money on junk food. Older kids can encourage younger children to use technology in a positive way such as looking for resources to get kids engaged in other activities than watching t.v.and playing video games.

Jumping Jacks, Jogging and Sit – Ups are all exercises we have been familiar with for years. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle you must remain active, however the same old exercises we have practiced since childhood does not often make the cut. A recent finding in an article by the Daily News reviews a few new fun fitness trends for not only adults but kids of all ages. Tabata, Parkour and TRX for Kids are a couple of group fitness trends on the rise.
According to New York Daily News, Tabata is one of the hottest fitness trends that involves high intensity interval training. Tabata provides similar health benefits to that of cardio workouts while adding a little more pizazz With Tabata, you work at maximum effort on one particular cardio exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat.

Parkour is a bit similar to the high intensity work Tabata offers. Parkour is also known as free running. Participants can leap, dive, and backflip with the safety of foam pits and padded mats in the newest trend of Indoor Parkour. According to New York Daily News, IDEA World Fitness will host classes on how to successfully get the workout and results you want from Parkour; their classes involve movement training and how to balance your climbs and jumps.

TRX for Kids is a hardcore suspension training that adapts to kids workout ability and draws the focus on fun, motivation and fitness. There is also a Rip Power course for adults that ramps up the energy level that focuses on “pulsing movement and power moves.” What kids need is a fun way to remain healthy and fit, that’s exactly what TRX does. In my opinion, these are all fun and exciting ways to lose weight and be happy. Even though these are high intense movement workouts they are still fun for the whole family to stay happy and healthy.

As soon as I walk into Bell Multicultural High School I can hear screaming of cheers and singing along with Miss Chi Chi Monet. I rush to the auditorium to find everyone from the age of 6 to 56 up on their feet dancing and moving to Chi Chi’s new single, ‘Move’. The audience loves the 10 year old rapper who is just too cute and boy does she have a voice! I see another little girl who looks just like her that is running through the aisles dancing and singing along. Later, I find out its Chi Chi’s younger sister Zoe who is clearly just as adorable and talented as Chi Chi.

After their performance they run off stage as everyone is still dancing and cheering for these two young girls who just rocked the show for the last few minutes. Excited to meet them, I eventually catch up to them and ask for a few minutes of their time. I cannot wait to hear their story and what they have to say about their music and inspiration! They even gave us another preview of ‘Move’ again!

Check it out…

3…

2…

1…

ACTION!

The glycemic index,(GI) provides a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular type of food. The effects that different foods have on blood sugar levels vary considerably. The glycemic index estimates how much each gram of available carbohydrate in a food raises a person’s blood glucose level following consumption of the food, relative to consumption of pure glucose. The scale ranges from 0-100, with 100 being pure sugar. Foods with high GI tend to be simple, while foods with low GI seem to be complex. Foods with a score of 70 or higher are defined as having a high glycemic index; those with a score of 55 or below have a low glycemic index.

Many factors can affect a food’s glycemic index, including the following:

Processing: Grains that have been milled and refined—removing the bran and the germ—have a higher glycemic index than whole grains.

Type of starch. Starch comes in many different configurations. Some are easier to break into sugar molecules than others. The starch in potatoes, for example, is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream relatively quickly.

Fiber content. The sugars in fiber are linked in ways that the body has trouble breaking. The more fiber a food has, the less digestible carbohydrate, and so the less sugar it can deliver.

Ripeness. Ripe fruits and vegetables tend to have more sugar than unripe ones, and so tend to have a higher glycemic index.

Fat content and acid content. The more fat or acid a food or meal contains, the slower its carbohydrates are converted to sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Physical form. Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested, and so has a higher glycemic index, than more coarsely ground grain.

Diets rich in high-glycemic-index foods, which cause quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels, have been linked to an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and overweight, and there is preliminary work linking high-glycemic diets to age-related macular degeneration, ovulatory infertility, and colorectal cancer. Foods with a low glycemic index have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes and improve weight loss. Other studies, though, have found that the glycemic index has little effect on weight or health. This sort of flip-flop is part of the normal process of science, and it means that the true value of the glycemic index remains to be determined. In the meantime, eating whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables—all foods with a low glycemic index—is indisputably good for many aspects of health.

To search some more of your favorite foods visit: www.glycemicindex.com, which has one of the most comprehensive and updated lists available.

Now that students have created their movement piece about their hero, have them present to each other. To further advance the meaning, have students bring in an artifact that represents their hero (like a picture or an object). Students will lean towards people that are not living. Express to them the hero can still be living AND the dances can be happy! Whatever the hero or dance, the purpose is to convey meaning!! Use the peer evaluation as a tool to edit and re-edit the dances. Once this has taken place, record the dances and have students do a self evaluation:

Did the piece convey the intended meaning? Was the movement story clear?

A good way to get motivated for a good workout is to buy some fashionable workout attire. I have a few favorite spots for shopping for said attire, but for now I’ll just share one.

I’m turning the spotlight on Lululemon. They specialize in technical athletic apparel for yoga, running, dancing, and most other sweaty pursuits for men and women. Whether you are a yoga head or an avid runner, this store has the gear for you. Here are my stamped favorites for men and women from Lululemon:

Wunder Under Crop Pant – This fancy pant is great because the tight fit makes it easy to check alignment and the calf-length leg allows for extended flexibility during yoga, dance or a Pilates class!

Precise Tee – Mesh – This tee is great for men because it’s engineered with anti-stink Silverescent and mesh fabrics so it will smell fresh post-wash even if you forget it in your gym bag overnight. The fact that it is quite the fashionable find, is icing on the cake!

So, if you haven’t already, stop by a Lululemon store near you or let your fingers do the walking to the online Lululemon Store!

Have students brainstorm about their personal hero. Is it their parents, classmate, pet, someone from pop culture? Whoever it is- it’s OK! Have students write an essay explaining their choice- what makes them special? How have they impacted their life? Do they have any special personality traits or funny habits?

My example to my students: I used to have a dance teacher that used to take a picture of herself in a bikini every year on her birthday (she did this until she was 80).

Why?

Because she always wanted to be honest about her body.

Students will select music that represents the essay and create a movement piece!!

Who did your students pick as their hero? Who is your hero and what would your movement piece include?

One of the things that I love about DWTS is the fact that it brings dance and specifically ballroom dance to a new audience. An easy way to start a unit is with the lindy swing, which is 2 steps and a ball change or back step. Once you teach the basics to your students- let them figure out the mirror image- first with no hands-just facing each other. Then try a simple hand to hand connection-palm up for the leader and hands down for the follower. Another great footnote is sanitation first- clean hands always!! You can try a variety of music styles not just big bands- let the kids try current music. Remember- the learner owns the learning!!

It’s easy to think that losing weight is hard…And it is, but what most don’t realize is that just a few minutes of light weight exercise can go a long way. Even if you feel you don’t have time, you do. You just have to MAKE time to be active! Just because you have to be active, doesn’t mean you have to push yourself to do things that you can’t or do not want to do. Playing sports, dancing, or even going for a 10 minute walk before your meal can help with losing weight. Its a step by step process and takes time to increase your intensity, but that’s okay. As long as you try to be more active and follow your plan you will be well on your way to your goal weight!

Everyone knows about YouTube to see a kitten playing the piano but, what about as a teaching tool? In my classroom, I use it all the time as a way for students to witness some great historical dances and icons from the field. Here’s an idea: have the students watch a scene the New York City Ballet’s, Swan Lake and the Knicks last home game. Just a few minutes of each, then try to create movement phrases based on what they witnessed. Grab a partner and share ideas.

Greeting Stampees! You won’t believe what I’ve found while perusing the internet. I actually came across a cleanser that is made for post-workout. Due to the oil build-up and sweat from working out, our skin often overloads and lands us with a ton of acne. Well, this might be the answer to our skin enemy! The name of this cleanser is: Stellar Performance Post Workout Cleanser. This cleanser promises to infuse your skin with antibacterial, powerful antioxidants, astringents and moisturizing properties while leaving your skin extremely clean without dryness. I haven’t used this product personally, but I plan on it for these reasons:

No synthetic or petrochemicals. No exthoxlates, formaldehyde donors, parabens, dyes, or artificial fragrance

Removes deep down debris from sweat that clogs pores and causes dullness

Detoxifies, nourishes and hydrates skin

Helps cure acne caused by exercise. *For acne, use on a daily basis twice a day for a week for noticeable results.

Removes stubborn make-up *If you must wear make-up during a workout this cleanser is highly recommended as your post workout cleanser.

Helps prevent athlete’s foot

Suitable for all skin types including sensitive

Will not dry skin with frequent use

Approximately 4-5 month supply (8oz)

Yes, we need to work out, but it’s an added bonus to look fabulous while you’re doing it. Be sure to check Medica’s Steller Performance Post Workout Cleanser today. This is a sure win to add to your gym bag.

You’ve been Stamped!

XOXO,

The type of music I like listen to when I work out is Hip Hop. I say hip hop because it helps me when I want to give up because the sound of the beat is saying keep going and it pumps me up and it makes me more energized and eager to exercise. Hip hop motivates me to get up and move! That’s the type of music I listen to when I work out.

As a dance teacher at an inner city school, one of my best ways is the music that I select or should I say let the students select. I keep a stack of blank cds and I distribute these to students for music with the parameter that it must be “Rated G’ and school appropriate- it has to pass the Grandma test- Would you play it for your Grandma? Do students ever try to sneak music past you? Yes!! As long as you are consistent, it is amazing how students will police each other.

Greetings! Now that we have kicked 2013 off, many people are rushing to the gym to follow through with their new year resolutions. However, there is a few us that may need a little extra motivation to get going. Well one way to do that is to up the ante on our fitness wardrobe. I’ve come across some chic gear across the net. Check out my three favorites below: